PODCAST:
Feb. 20, 2026 ~ To help unpack the legal significance of this ruling, Kevin welcomes Richard Friedman, the Alene and Allan F. Smith Professor of Law at the University of Michigan and a leading authority on evidence law and U.S. Supreme Court history. Friedman walks us through how the Court evaluated the Trump administration’s reliance on the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) — the same law the administration used to justify tariffs that have now been struck down.
WASHINGTON, D.C. ~ In a 6-3 decision, the Supreme Court decided Friday that United States President Donald Trump’s tariffs are unconstitutional. Trump’s attempt to impose the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), which would have allowed unilateral tariffs on most trade partners, was only supported by Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and Brett Kavanaugh. Despite the decision, Trump said in a news conference after the ruling that he would impose a temporary 10% global tariff under a different law, the Trade Act of 1974.
